Parts of a URL

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A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a reference to a resources on the internet, and it consists of several parts, each serving a specific function. Here are the main components of a typical URL:

  1. Scheme/Protocol:

    • This indicates the protocol used to access the resource. Common examples include http, https, ftp, etc.
    • Example: https://
  2. Host/Domain Name:

    • This is the address of the server hosting the resource. It can be a domain name (like www.example.com) or an IP address.
    • Example: www.example.com
  3. Port (optional):

    • This specifies the port number on the server to which the request is being sent. The default port for http is 80 and for https is 443, so it's usually omitted. If used, it follows the host and is preceded by a colon.
    • Example: :8080
  4. Path:

    • This specifies the specific resource on the server. It often resembles a file path.
    • Example: /path/to/resource
  5. Query String (optional):

    • This is a set of key-value pairs providing additional data for the request, often used for parameters in web applications. It follows the path and is preceded by a question mark (?).
    • Example: ?key1=value1&key2=value2
  6. Fragment/Anchor (optional):

    • This identifies a specific section of a resource, typically corresponding to an HTML element with an ID attribute. It follows the query string and is preceded by a hash (#).
    • Example: #section1

Example URL Breakdown

Here is a complete example of a URL:

https://www.example.com:8080/path/to/resource?key1=value1&key2=value2#section1

Breakdown:

  • Scheme/Protocol: https
  • Host/Domain Name: www.example.com
  • Port: 8080
  • Path: /path/to/resource
  • Query String: ?key1=value1&key2=value2
  • Fragment: #section1

Understanding these components can help you troubleshoot web-related issues, configure server settings, or just make more sense of how web addresses work.